Not about 'going streamless' but new subject packages, Education Ministry clarifies

The Ministry of Education is offering new packages for upper secondary students under the two umbrellas of science and arts when the school term opens next January.

A slight modification to the current system, this means students at Forms 4 and 5 will be able to select from four packages which have a set combination of core subjects and electives (see list at the end of this article).

However, the electives they choose will depend on whether their schools have the teachers or facilities to offer those subjects, Deputy Director-General of Education Habibah Abdul Rahman (photo, above) told media at the Bahagian Sumber dan Teknologi building in Kuala Lumpur today.

Habibah also said it is inaccurate to say the arts and science streams will now be abolished because in essence, the ministry abolished the streaming policy in the year 2000.

“We don’t arrange the students according to streams but allow students to choose electives according to packages to convenience the schools and students.

“Schools will not be able to offer all electives because it depends on the facilities and teachers available at the school,” she said.

When school reopens in January 2020, Form 4 and Form 5 students can choose either of the following packages:

• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) A:

Core subjects, three pure science subjects and Additional Mathematics. Students can add up to four other electives, including languages.

• Stem B:

Core subjects, two pure science subjects, Additional Mathematics, at least one applied science or non-science elective.

• Stem C:

Core subjects, two applied science or technical elective or one vocational elective.

• Humanities and Arts:

Core subjects and electives from languages, Islamic Studies, arts and humanities and/or one Stem elective. (Vocational election not included in Stem elective.)

Physical and health education will be compulsory for all students, but any testing will be done at school level only, Habibah said.

History and Bahasa Malaysia remain compulsory-pass subjects for SPM, she said while 12 subjects remain the limit for SPM.

Core subjects are:

• Bahasa Malaysia
• English
• Mathematics
• Science (except for students who undertake pure science subjects)
• History
• Islamic Studies /Moral Studies (except for students who undertake Islamic studies-related electives)

She said the ministry is offering packages instead of allowing a free for all so students could meet tertiary education institutes requirements for entry to specific courses.

'Good students may be advised to take up pure science'

Students will also be counselled on which package will suit them according to their Form 3 PT3 results, in-school assessments and psychometric test results, she said.

The Ministry’s Curriculum Division Director, Mohamed Abu Bakar said "Good students" are still likely to be advised to take up pure science subjects and therefore, be placed in classes which take the Stem A package.

“That’s how schools will equate who will be science students,” he said.

He said schools must counsel wisely because dropping certain subjects may limit opportunities, even if the students do well in their chosen subjects.

“You can’t dump physics and try to get into medicine,” he said.

Habibah said that ideally, the ministry would like for schools to become like universities, where students can determine their own timetables based on the subjects enrolled.

However, she said Malaysian public schools are not equipped for this so students will still be organised according to classes which take the same packages.

“Schools can arrange for minimal movements if students take different packages, but they will still (mostly) sit in their classes rather than have the classes fixed (and the students move),” she said.

Schools briefed

Habibah said schools have already undergone briefings on the packages, and there have not been any adverse feedback.

"The inquiries have been less from the school but more from parents and stakeholders," she said, adding that media reports have contributed to the confusion.

Earlier it was reported that the government will do away with streaming at Form 4.

However, in fact, streaming was abolished in policy when the SPM was changed into an open certification.

This means students can take at least two of the core subjects (History and Bahasa Malaysia) and no more than four electives.

However, in the previous system, to encourage science subjects, students were encouraged to specialise through different streams taking on either pure science, information and technology, science plus Islamic studies, technology plus Islamic Studies or arts plus additional sciences. 

 -Mkini